Meddling
by easyqueenie
Summary: Scully's long suffering mother finally decides to intervene in her daughter's love life!
1. Chapter 1

I'm trying to work on writing in the first person so sorry if it doesn't flow too well - it doesn't come naturally to me!

Sorry for the T-rating, not sure what I want to include in part two so wanted to be safe in case. Nothing above a K in here!

Scully's long suffering mother finally decides to intervene in her daughter's love life!

**FOX MULDER'S APARTMENT**

**SATURDAY 10.00AM**

I answered the phone not even wondering who it might be; Scully was pretty much the only person who ever called my apartment anymore. As such I was taken completely off guard when I heard the voice of Scully's mother Maggie at the other end of the line.

"Hey Scully"

"Fox? It's Maggie"

"Maggie?" I paused in confusion, and then panic started to rise, why was Scully's mother calling me on a Saturday afternoon? "What's wrong, are you ok? Is Dana ok?"

"Yes, yes everything's fine" she replied, laughing slightly, "I just needed to speak to you."

"Oh, erm, ok" I sounded like an idiot.

"Are you busy today?"

"No, not at all"

"Good, do you think you could come over to my house for me?"

"Your house? Erm, ok, sure, why?" I still sounded like an idiot.

"I just need you here for a few hours, but I need you to do me a favour ok?"

"Ok"

"Dana's here but I don't want her knowing you're coming or that you've even arrived. Park down the street, the Smith's at 2097 are away so you can park in front of their house, it's the blue one with the unpainted garage door. Call me when you're outside, I'll shoo Dana off for long enough to get you in. She's over to help me out, I've twinged my back again."

"I'm really sorry Maggie, I've had back problems, and they're nasty. Can I ask what's going on?"

"No, you'll understand soon. Trust me Fox, I need you on this ok?"

"OK Maggie, I trust you. I'll be there soon. Bye"

"Bye Fox"

**MARGARET SCULLY'S HOUSE**

**SATURDAY 11.30AM**

"Mom, where do you want these towels putting?" Dana's head appeared around the living room door.

"Linen closet, same place I've kept them for the past eight years Dana." I replied, giving my daughter a big smile as she muttered something I probably didn't want to hear and wandered off. I had the slightest sense that she didn't want to be helping her mother out with chores on a Saturday, I didn't blame her. She was going to be a lot angrier once she understood what was really going on though. I was finally sick of listening to her go on and on about how she felt about Fox but refusing to do anything about it. It was clear to anyone with a brain that he felt the same way back but my stubborn as a mule child simply refused to pull her head out of the sand about it. Fox was no better, simply replace Dana's stubbornness with his self-deprecation and you had him sussed. No way would he make a first move, far too much fear of rejection behind those eyes. I couldn't do anything about Fox but Dana was my daughter and it was far too long since I'd done some serious meddling in my children's lives.

I'd put the house phone on mute so Dana wouldn't hear it ring when he called. Finally the screen lit up, flashing "Fox – Cell". I picked it up.

"I'm outside, by the front door" he announced simply.

"Great, it's unlocked, just wait a moment" I replied quietly. I partly covered the mouthpiece so as not to deafen him and called up the stairs.

"Dana honey? Once you're done putting those away could you tidy up the master bedroom for me please, just check everything's in the laundry basket that needs to be and bring it down to the laundry room ok?"

"Ok mom" I heard her call back.

"Come inside quietly, come straight into the living room, don't take off your coat or leave anything out there that will give you away." I told Fox, immediately putting the phone down in case Dana spotted the telltale green "in-use" light flashing on the upstairs satellite phone. I heard the front door open very gently, then close again after a few seconds. Fox appeared around my living room door after a moment and smiled at me, about to speak. I immediately put my fingers to my lips to silence him, and beckoned him over so I could whisper.

"This will sound very strange I know but please trust me?" He nodded, but looked very confused. "I need you to go and sit behind that huge beast of a houseplant in the corner. Sit, and listen but don't say anything or make any movement, I don't want Dana having any idea you're there. There's a big space, make yourself comfortable. You'll know if and when I want you to reveal yourself. Ok?"

"Erm… yeah ok" Fox whispered back. The confusion on his face had reached unknown levels. He walked to the corner where the plant sat, kicked off his shoes and shrugged off his coat, depositing them behind the sofa nearby and vanished from my sight.

"You comfortable?" I asked quietly. He grunted in agreement, keeping quiet.

"Dana? Can you come in here; I need to talk to you?" I called out again, hearing Dana on the stairs.

"Coming mom, I'll just dump this basket off." I heard the laundry room door open, the sound of the basket hitting the floor, then the door closing. Finally Dana appeared at the living room door, she looked slightly worn.

"Close the door honey." She obeyed, and then stood looking at me. "Come here" I said, patting the sofa. She sat down beside me and I pulled her in so she was cuddled up beside me. "Now Dana honey, we need to have a little talk ok?"

"What about?" she mumbled at me.

"About Fox."


	2. Chapter 2

**MARGARET SCULLY'S HOUSE  
****SATURDAY 11.40AM**

My breath hitched slightly in my throat. Maggie Scully wanted to talk to Dana about me? I couldn't imagine what for and certainly not what she'd need to talk about with me stashed behind a pot plant in the same room. I could see Scully and her mom through a gap in the leaves; Scully had suddenly tensed and was clearly trying to shuffle herself into a more defensive position, it was obvious from my psychology background. Her mom however was doing an excellent job of keeping her close without actually being forceful about it.

"I don't want to talk about him again Mom" Dana replied to her mother.

"Again?" I thought quickly, my mind racing, "They've talked about me before?"

"Well I do and I'm your mother so tough" Maggie told her simply. I knew the Scully children had an incredible level of respect for their parents, it came from being Navy brats, and so Scully was doomed to this conversation. "Just be grateful your father isn't still with us, you'd have been stood in front of him in his office getting the third degree long before now." Maggie added. I saw a small smile break over both their faces and Dana sighed.

"Yeah I know. I couldn't stand being called into that room again, having to stand in front of him and explain myself while he just sat there studying me. I could never lie to him."

"That's why you were in trouble so much; you could never find a way to get out of it when you were caught, unlike your sister and brothers." Maggie was laughing and I was feeling pretty chipper myself, Scully had been in a lot of trouble when she was younger? I needed to find out what about someday. "Anyway Dana, back to Fox.

"Mom" Scully winged like a small child but quickly gave it, sensing her protests were useless "What do you want to talk about?"

"Have you told him?"

"Told him what?"

"What you told me that night you came over here sobbing your heart out because some old hag he used to know had reappeared in his life. Told him what you want from him?"

"Of course not!" Dana snapped "I can't tell him. I can't ever tell him mom!"

"You can Dana, and you need to because I'm sick of picking up the pieces. You get mad at him for hurting your feelings but how can he not if he doesn't understand there's anything there to hurt? You phone me up crying more and more and frankly I've had enough."

Maggie had that mad glint on her eye, the parental glint that said she was very angry but still loved her daughter. Scully had finally wriggled herself into a ball on the couch and was refusing to make eye contact with her mother. I was barely breathing in my hiding place, not quite able to understand what I was hearing.

"Have you finally admitted it to yourself?" Maggie asked, lowering her voice again.

"Admitted what?" Scully mumbled back, still not looking up. Maggie looked exasperated.

"Admitted how you feel about him."

"He's my best friend."

"There's more than that Dana, you know it and I know it. Stop making asses out of both of us." Dana looked up, I couldn't see her face anymore but I figured she was crying a bit now as her mom reached over and brushed something off her cheek. "Oh Dana just give in for once, I won't think any less of you for having emotions, you don't have to be a rock every day. Let it out before it bubbles over again." Scully shook her head.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I'll make an idiot out of myself."

"You won't. Listen, Dana I'll make it easy for you. You know you can't lie to my face. Answer me a question, honestly."

"No Mom…" Scully began but her mother continued.

"Do you love Fox?"

"Yes of course I do but…"

"Are you IN love with Fox?" I gasped so loudly I thought they might hear me but they didn't.

"I…" Scully began, staring intently at the couch cushions.

"Dana, look at me and answer the question. Are you in love with Fox?" Her mother repeated seriously. Scully looked up at her mother, I could see her shoulders shaking now.

"Yes" I heard her mutter. My heart stopped beating for a moment.

"Thank you" her mother smiled and pulled Dana into a hug. "Will you tell him?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't, I can't embarrass myself in front of him like that."

"Why do you think you'll embarrass yourself?"

"Because he doesn't feel the same way about me, he doesn't want me that way."

"How do you know that?"

"I just do"

"Have you ever actually asked him?"

"No but…"

"So you don't actually know then do you, you've just assumed. You have to tell him how you feel; he deserves the truth doesn't he?" Scully didn't answer. "He deserves the truth, and you have to ask him how he feels too."

"I can't" Scully whimpered "I'm too scared."

"You'll never be able to ask him if he's in love with you?" Scully shook her head, she was clearly crying now. "Do you want to know?" Scully nodded. "Then I'll ask him." Before Scully could even begin to make some form of protest, Maggie cleared her throat and spoke loudly to the room. "Fox, are you in love with Dana?" I stood up instantly from my hiding place on shaky legs, feeling the tears running down my own cheeks but not caring.

"Yes! Of course I am!" I managed to croak out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part three and we've switched perspectives again, this is obviously narrated by Scully. Sorry for the terrible psycho-analysis and over use of the F-word. First real attempt at writing angry Scully, she's tricky.**

I screamed and spun on the sofa as I heard Mulder's voice behind me. He was stood behind my mother's plant, shaking slightly with tears on his cheeks; he was staring at me intently. I began furiously wiping the tears from my eyes, feeling anger building inside me; I didn't know who to scream at first.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped at him.

"Your mom called me and asked me to come, I didn't know why." Mulder choked out quietly "She just told me to sit here and listen." He looked confused and I felt less angry at him, clearly he'd been used as a pawn in this little charade too. Instead I spun and glared at my mom who was still sat on the sofa looking infuriatingly collected.

"Why?" I shrieked at her, losing all semblance of calm. "Why did you bring him here and embarrass me like this in front of him? I'm old enough to handle my own life mom, why would you do this to me?" Tears were streaking down my face rapidly now, I was shaking with pure rage at my own mother. "I hate you!" I added before storming into the hallway, slamming the door and running upstairs. I felt like a teenager again, embarrassed by my parents in front of a boy, now a man I liked. Not caring I threw myself into my old bedroom, now a guest room and collapsed, sobbing onto the bed. I felt stupid, humiliated, reduced to crying in my bedroom again but I couldn't face anything else. A few minutes passed before I heard a faint tap on the door.

"Scully?" Mulder's voice murmured.

"Go away!" I yelled, choking on sobs, "I don't want to see you." He ignored me and opened the door, stepping just inside before closing it again. I rolled over to face away from him. "Are you deaf?" I snapped, "I said go away."

"I know" Mulder replied as I felt him sit on the bed beside me, to his credit he didn't even try and touch me. "Your mom says she's sorry for hurting you, she wants you to know she only did what she thought was best for us." I made a huffing noise.

"Please go away Mulder" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm, "I can't handle seeing you right now."

"Scully I, I need to be with you just now. I feel so lost, so confused, my world just got turned upside down" he told me, I heard the shake in his voice. "I'm trying to wrap my head around the things I heard and I can't."

"I don't want anyone near me." I muttered.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I don't" I snapped back, "go away!"

"I'll tell you why" he began but I cut him off.

"Don't try and fucking psycho-analyse me Mulder, I don't want that shit right now, I just want to be left alone by everybody so I can get my head back together." I shouted and was surprised at myself for swearing at him, it was something I very rarely did.

"No" he said quietly, "I'm going to psycho-anaylyse you because you need it." I rolled over and tried to ignore him. "You're feeling incredibly vulnerable right now, humiliated. You've spent years building up walls around you, only allowing certain things and people to pass through them, keeping your thoughts and your emotions firmly in check. What your mother just did, she took a sledgehammer to those walls, brought them crashing down around you. You'd let her inside, you'd trusted her with everything you are and you feel violated by her betrayal. You trusted your mother with every last facet of your being and you feel she took advantage. She got you to open up and reveal everything out to the world, to take down the walls for her alone and then, when you were on display she let you see that I was there. You may as well have been naked in front of me; everything was on display, there for me to laugh at, there for me to reject. She stripped you naked in front of the one person you least wanted to be naked before. Am I close?" I was shaking worse than ever now. He'd hit every last nail right on the head the bastard, sometimes I hated how good he was at doing that. I managed to nod but couldn't form words. He didn't push me. Eventually I regained some composure and managed to find my voice.

"So..." I whispered, "give it to me then."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Get it over with, reject me. I don't want to lie here feeling your pity any more. Just tell me you don't feel the same way and get out." The room went silent. I felt my muscles clenching all over as my body tensed for the impact of hearing his rejection, felt the tears welling up in my eyes, ready to fall.

"Scully I'm not going to reject you" he stated. "I'm here with you now because I want to be here. I always want to be close to you, nothing you said today changed any of that. In fact it made me want to be closer to you. I want you too Scully, I love you." I froze, not believing what I'd heard. Never for a second had I believed that Mulder would ever love me back. How could he? Mulder loved the X-Files, they were his life. He'd been rejected and hurt too much in his past to risk that again. I shook my head.

"No." I said "I don't want your pity Mulder, don't lie to me." He grabbed me then and rolled me onto my back so I was looking up at him. His eyes were red and wet.

"I'm not lying Scully. I love you."

"How could you?" I asked, "Why would you ever love me? I infuriate you Mulder, I have a terrible temper, I'm stubborn and I'm not attractive."

"Firstly, you are attractive, you're more than that, you're beautiful and sexy, I've always thought that right from the moment I first saw you. And as for that temper, you have no idea how gorgeous you are when you're angry. Your eyes light up and sparkle, you can terrify men three times your size! You're adorable when you're being stubborn too." I couldn't help smiling slightly as he dropped compliment after compliment onto me, even if I didn't really believe them. "What I can't wrap my head around Scully is why you could ever want to be with me? I'd never even given it a thought; it was so ridiculous an idea that whenever it popped into my head I crushed it instantly. Why would an intelligent, attractive woman like you ever want to be with me? I fuck up everything that I touch."

"You've never fucked me up" I began but he laughed harshly, cutting me off.

"Your sister died because of me Scully. You were abducted and experimented on, you ended up with cancer, and you're infertile, all because of me. How the hell can you say I didn't fuck you up?"

"I could have walked away. Nothing made me stay Mulder, nothing but me. I could have left any time but I didn't. And anyway, who's to say my life would be any better now if I had? I could have transferred to another department and been shot on my first case. Even if I'd stayed away from the front lines, I might have found the time to meet a guy and ended up in an abusive relationship. Besides, I am perfectly capable of fucking my own life up Mulder; I don't need your help with that." That at least got a smile out of him.

"I still don't understand why you want me" he started again, I sighed heavily.

"Mulder, you're a good looking guy. You dress well if we ignore your taste in ties, you're intelligent to a point where it's actually a little alarming and you're incredibly sensitive to my feelings. What woman wouldn't want that?"

"A sane one?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Well then maybe I'm not sane?" I countered.

"That's a certainty; no one who works the X-Files could ever be sane! Come on Scully, let's get out of here. I don't particularly want to spend my Saturday hiding out in your mother's spare bedroom."

"Where to? " I asked.

"Somewhere fun, somewhere we're unlikely to have our day disturbed by aliens, monsters, mutants or serial killers." He decided aloud.

"And that is?"

"I'm not telling. Come on; get your butt moving you." He poked me in the side just above my hip and I squealed.

"Don't touch me there, it tickles!"

"Then get up fast or I'll do it again," he waggled his fingers towards me in a gesture that was both hilarious and vaguely threatening so I rolled away from him as fast as possible and stood up on the far side of the bed.

"I don't know what to say to mom" I began "I'm still so mad at her."

"Leave it to me. Go find your coat, I'll tell your mom you're ok, just very shaken and upset with her so I'm taking you out to calm down. I'm sure she'll understand." I nodded.

"Tell her I'll call in a few hours."

"I will" he said, vanishing out of the room. I followed him down the stairs and retrieved my coat, boots and handbag from the storage area. Mulder emerged from the living room and we headed out of the front door. I turned back to see my mother looking rather sheepish, leaning against the door frame. She smiled at me and waved, I managed a tiny smirk and a half hearted wave back, it was going to be a while before I could fully open up to her again. Mulder guided me past my own car and down the street a little to his, he sensed my thoughts instantly, "we'll come back and get it later ok?" he said, gesturing towards my car. I nodded and quietly got into the passenger seat beside him.

"Seriously Mulder, where are we going?" I prodded. He grinned that irritating little grin and I knew I wasn't getting an answer.

"Patience Scully, you'll see" he told me firmly, keying the ignition and pulling out into the street.


End file.
